How to avoid negative press and fines during the opioid crisis

No news is good news.

Especially for hospitals in the middle of the opioid epidemic.

Recently, the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) agreed to a civil penalty in the amount of $4.3 million for failing to prevent opioid drug diversion and federal recordkeeping violations as a result of a DEA investigation. The headline from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan read: “Eastern District of Michigan Announces Record-setting Hospital Drug Diversion Civil Penalty Settlement With the University of Michigan Health System.”

This past May, Effingham Health System (EHS) in Georgia agreed to pay the U.S. government $4.1 million for failing to prevent opioid drug diversion and federal recordkeeping violations as a result of a DEA investigation. The press release read: “Southern District Of Georgia Announces Largest Hospital Drug Diversion Civil Penalty Settlement in U.S. History.”

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